7 Days Visiting Paris & Amsterdam

If you are flying to Paris from the States, you will most likely land in Paris in the morning after a red-eye flight. From the airport, head to your hotel to drop off your luggage and start exploring. Going for a walk, and breathing in the fresh air will do wonders for your jet-lag!

Paris is broken up into 20 arrondissements. Each arrondissement has its own character and vibrancy to explore. Starting out in your local arrondissement will give you a lay of the land around your home-base for the next few days. Find your local patisserie and grab a ham & cheese baguette to take along on your walk.

After spending the morning getting to know your local arrondissement, take in the city with a tour! From a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus to private tours via bike, walking or van, a city tour is the best way to get your footing in the city. Find the tour that fits you best by contacting your Fora travel advisor.

An early night in will help with the time change! Remember to hydrate, limit caffeine late in the day and you will be ready for the rest of your trip in the Central European Time Zone!

Start your first full day in Paris at a local café. Experience one of the best parts of Paris with their wonderful café culture. Grab an espresso and pain au chocolat, and watch the bustle of the city start to pick up as the morning moves on.

Head to the Arc de Triomphe for the best view of Paris. Some may say the Eiffel Tower has the best view. However, insiders know that the best view of Paris is actually from the roof of the Arc de Triomphe! Get a ticket to walk to the top, which is sometimes included in your tour ticket from Day 1, and take in Paris from above. Beware - There are a lot of steps to get up to the top, but it is well worth it!

Make your way to the Louvre. Spend your afternoon winding through the countless exhibits and installations. The Louvre can be overwhelming, so grab a map and create a game plan so you can see your highlights!

Note - Make sure to book your time slot ahead of time to avoid long lines & waits.

Give your legs a rest and see the City of Lights come alive! Take a sunset cruise on the Seine. You can find 1-hour guided cruises, dinner cruises, private tours, and more to fit your travel style. Check out the variety here!

Following a busy day of exploring Paris, enjoy a slow morning strolling through Le Marais. This neighborhood is a favorite among local Parisians with a rich history, great restaurants and blocks of shops to explore. Spending time in Le Marais in the morning means you miss the crowds that grow in the afternoon!

After a baguette lunch, take a quick taxi or metro ride to the Left Bank to explore the Catacombs of Paris. The Catacombs are on the no-miss list for Paris. They are full of history that is largely skipped. You will get a break from the heat and a unique, up-close perspective of Paris' vast history. Make sure to get tickets from the official Paris Catacombs website!

Make your way through the historical and wonderfully artistic Left Bank neighborhoods after your Catacombs visit. Head north from the Catacombs entrance to Jardin du Luxembourg. Take a break around the Grand Bassin, play chess on the large boards in the park or walk through the sculpture gardens fully experience one of the most beautiful parks in Paris. Head east to Pantheon or northwest to the St. Germain neighborhood and let yourself wonder and stumble upon the countless hidden gems!

Take the morning to have your last espresso at a Parisian café and your favorite pain au chocolat before heading to Amsterdam. Multiple high-speed trains travel between Paris and Amsterdam daily. Jump on a midday train, which will last just under three and a half hours.

From the train station, get to your hotel to drop off your luggage if you make it before check-in. Amsterdam is one of the most walkable cities. You can see the best of the city on your own two feet (or wheels!). Just as in Paris, take time to explore your neighborhood. Nothing is too far away in Amsterdam, so you will find yourself moving through neighborhoods quickly!

Cap off your first day in Amsterdam with a sunset canal tour. Seeing the city from the canals will provide a unique perspective that is unparalleled! Check out the many options. Amsterdam might not be the City of Lights, but the city lights up when the sun goes down in a way you don’t want to miss.

Amsterdam is known for many things. At the top of that list has to be the amazing museums. Take in Amsterdam and the Netherlands' history with a museum day. Start your day with a visit to the Anne Frank House. Tickets to the Anne Frank House are sold on their official website and are released every Tuesday for the following six weeks. Make sure to set your reminder to get tickets and the time slot you want!

After the Anne Frank house, make a lunch stop for some Dutch classics of bitterballen, kroketen, kibbeling or frietjes. Make your way to Museumplein, which is home to a bustling park and two of the city’s best known museums. The Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum should be at the top of your list of options. The Van Gogh Museum is home to the largest collection of Van Gogh artwork and tells the story of the artist’s life in a way unlike any other. Rijksmuseum has over 8,000 works of Dutch art and history. These aren’t the only two museums in Museumplein, so be sure to check out the many options to fit your style the best! The museums all require reservations, so be sure to purchase your tickets early.

Depending on the time of year you are visiting, there are great half or full-day trips from Amsterdam. During the Spring, a trip to Keukenhof Gardens is a must. Numerous tour groups will take you directly from the city center to the gardens with skip-the-line tickets!

Outside of tulip season, you can take a trip to the countryside and explore the windmills, cheese makers, canals and clog-making, all of which have shaped Dutch culture. Find the trip that fits your style through a Netherlands tour.